Contrary to popular misconception, the coolest perk that comes with being a rockstar isn't the money, the women, or the fame: It's getting to live every bedroom lip-sync-er's dream of smashing your guitar in front of an audience full of adoring fans. Just ask Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, and every other artist who has taken out their passions on their instruments.
From Prince to Post Malone, here are 16 rockstars smashing perfectly good guitars, as inspired by John Hiatt's classic tune on the matter.
1
Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong.
2
A young Kurt Cobain smashes a guitar, October 1988.
3
Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore.
5
Metallica’s Kirk Hammett smashes a guitar while onstage in Philadelphia, 1997.
6
Swedish rocker Yngwie Malmsteen attempts to smash Sandvik’s “Smash-Proof” guitar.
7
Matt Bellamy of Muse smashes a guitar onstage in Portugal, 2022.
8
Jimi Hendrix lights his guitar on fire at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Moments later, he smashed the charred remains of his instrument all over the set.
10
Emily Armstrong of Dead Sara — now Linking Park — smashes a guitar onstage.
11
Prince throws his guitar at the end of his 2007 Super Bowl Halftime performance.
12
Oliver Ackermann of A Place To Bury Strangers.
13
Post Malone smashes his guitar at a music festival, 2018.
14
Paul Simonon of The Clash. This image was featured on the cover of their 1979 album, “London Calling.”
15
Win Butler of Arcade Fire smashes his guitar after one of his strings broke during a “Saturday Night Live” performance.
16
The Who’s Pete Townshend.
